Top 10: Books of 2015
#ThrowbackThursday
It’s become a habit of mine, in December of each of the last few years, to pull together a list of my Top 10 Books of the Year. I may well be kidding myself that anyone’s very interested but, to be fair, the conceit that even one or two people might be is what’s led to me creating this blog. So I’ll keep doing it, and people can continue to ignore it if they wish. Their loss 😊
There’s very little science behind which books make it into my Top 10. If I’ve rated a book 5 stars on Goodreads then it’s got a better chance, but if I rated it 5 stars in February and barely remember it in December it’s unlikely to stay up there. I’m pretty stingy with 5-star ratings though, so those ones tend to stick in my mind. Other factors include me having subsequently recommended it to a variety of other people, and a desire to re-read it as I think it has more to give me.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll share the Top 10s I’ve collated since 2015. I’ll include a wee synopsis of each book, but if there’s any that you’d like me to do a full review of, let me know in the comments below!
Remember 2015? Those halcyon days where Brexit was yet a twinkle in David Cameron’s eye. We still had David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Victoria Wood, and Prince. Most of us had never heard of Zika virus. I’d quite like to go back to 2015, actually. Those were better days.
Some of the books below were published around that time, others had been around for a while. I have so many books in my TBR pile that it can be a while before I get around to them!
Fiona’s Top 10 Books of 2015
Rivers Of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Dead Girl Walking - Christopher Brookmyre
The Miniaturist - Jessie Burton
Runaway - Peter May
Whisky From Small Glasses - Denzil Meyrick
The Song Of Achilles - Madeline Miller
The Bone Clocks - David Mitchell
The Secret Life And Curious Death Of Miss Jean Milne - Andrew Nicoll
The Ice Palace - Tarjei Vesaas
The Martian - Andy Weir
Rivers Of London - Ben Aaronovitch
I reviewed Rivers Of London just a couple of weeks ago – read that review here. One of my favourite books and authors; a magical realism Met Police-based romp through the streets and (unsurprisingly) the rivers of London town. Funny and entertaining, Aaronovitch builds a world that feels tangible and creates characters that evoke strong emotions. Rivers Of London is the first in an ongoing series – clear your calendar before you dive in.
Buy Rivers Of London from Amazon
Buy Rivers Of London from bookshop.org
Dead Girl Walking - Christopher Brookmyre
Another instalment in Brookmyre’s ongoing Jack Parlabane series. Dead Girl Walking spans a wide geography, following a band touring the cities and nightspots of western Europe. The lead singer of the band has disappeared and Parlabane has been engaged to track her down. The narrative slips back and forward between current day and the lead-up to the events that resulted in the singer’s disappearance. Right to the islands of Scotland’s west coast, the drama ratchets up to a breathtaking conclusion.
Buy Dead Girl Walking from Amazon
Buy Dead Girl Walking from bookshop.org
The Miniaturist - Jessie Burton
Set in 17th Century Amsterdam, a young girl is married off to a mysterious rich man. Struggling to find her place in the house and in the world, she is gifted a dolls house by her new husband. The house is filled with miniature furniture that reflects real events in dark and intriguing ways. As Nella matures, we are surrounded by the sights, sounds, and troubles of a rapidly growing city. Perceptions shift and alter, and the mysteries deepen as time goes on. A careful and considered debut novel.
Buy The Miniaturist from Amazon
Buy The Miniaturist from bookshop.org
Runaway - Peter May
A standalone novel by Scottish writer Peter May, also known for the China Novels and the Lewis Trilogy. Set in 1965 and 2015, Runaway follows the story of five teenage friends who ran away from Glasgow to London to seek their fame with their band. What happened on that fateful trip in 1965 is revealed gradually throughout the novel, with echoes of the events in the 2015 storyline. A coming-of-age novel in the earlier timeline, it’s worth reading even just for the protagonists escape from his sheltered housing complex in 2015.
Whisky From Small Glasses - Denzil Meyrick
Whisky From Small Glasses is the first in a series of novels, set in the fictional town of Kinloch (Scottish readers will like recognise it as Campbeltown, Meyrick’s home). The series follows DCI Jim Daley and his trusty sidekick DS Brian Scott. The range of terror and drama that ensues throughout the series may at times stretch the limits of credulity, but who doesn’t enjoy a Scottish-police-government conspiracy-adventure-thriller?
Buy Whisky From Small Glasses from Amazon
Buy Whisky From Small Glasses from bookshop.org
The Song Of Achilles - Madeline Miller
I don’t put my Top 10s in any particular order, but if I did The Song Of Achilles would likely be near the top. Madeline Miller retells the classic Greek myth of Achilles, with a focus on his relationship with Patroclus. It’s not modernised or re-invented, only re-imagined with a lens on the forgotten characters of the Iliad. Captivatingly beautiful, tender and thrilling, it reignited my love for a period already known for its wonder and world-building. Miller knows her sources inside out, and her passion for the tale is evident in every line.
Buy The Song Of Achilles from Amazon
Buy The Song Of Achilles from bookshop.org
The Bone Clocks - David Mitchell
A typical David Mitchell novel that sprawls across time and location. His trademark kaleidoscope of colours and patterns and characters collide, separate and come together again in new arrangements. Beginning with a runaway teenager, there follows a rollercoaster through six decades where individual stories are linked across time. Mitchell’s books are a significant time investment, but are always worth it.
Buy The Bone Clocks from Amazon
Buy The Bone Clocks from bookshop.org
The Secret Life And Curious Death Of Miss Jean Milne - Andrew Nicoll
Have you ever been to Broughty Ferry? If you have, you’ll know it’s a bonny wee place, not generally known for its violent crime rates. Set in the early 20th century, the book tells the story of the murder of the titular character, and the subsequent investigation. Based on a true story, though imagined and represented for the page; Nicoll evokes small town life perfectly, without compromising the horror and trauma of sudden death.
Buy The Secret Life And Curious Death Of Miss Jean Milne from Amazon
Buy The Secret Life And Curious Death Of Miss Jean Milne from bookshop.org
The Ice Palace - Tarjei Vesaas
Bit of a left-field one, this. Set in northern Norway, where ice and snow are a way of life, two young girls strike up a friendship. The ice palace of the title is a mysterious cave network that is hidden behind a frozen waterfall. When one of the girls decides to go exploring, despite being warned of the dangers, she disappears. The story follows the search for her and the journey her friend goes through, vividly imagining all the possible fates that may have befallen her. Ethereal and magical, The Ice Palace will stay with you long after you finish reading.
Buy The Ice Palace from Amazon
Buy The Ice Palace from bookshop.org
The Martian - Andy Weir
You may have seen the film of The Martian by now, and in a rare occurrence it’s pretty close to the book, but you’d be disappointed if I didn’t say that the book is better. Tis, though. Astronaut Mark Watney is stranded on Mars when his colleagues on the exploratory mission had to leave in a hurry, leaving him for dead. Once he wakes, he needs to figure out how to use the limited food and resources he has left to him to keep himself alive until rescue arrives. The creeping monotony of solitary life is offset by his delight in each small victory, while periodic terrors set the adrenaline pumping – for Watney as well as the reader. An absolute delight of a book.
Buy The Martian from bookshop.org
Have you read any of these books? Have you added any to your list? Or would you like to know more about any of them? Let me know in the comments below, or on social media!
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